A whole new world!

As a follow-up to yesterday's "Deadliest Catch" posting, I too, thought I'd take a little trip across the ocean in my post. Or should I say, a trip under the sea.

Recently, I've been going through some significant life changes the past three months. With the release of my book, GHOST HUNTRESS: THE AWAKENING, I, too, feel that I am going through an awakening of my own. As such, I've decided to do some things that I've always wanted to do, but somehow wasn't able to do for one reason or the other. I'm traveling more. I'm eating at restaurants I've always had a curiosity about. And...I'm pursuing adventures I've always dreamed of...starting last night.

I started SCUBA lessons!



Yes...you read that right! At 42 years young, I decided to take the plunge, literally! LOL!! I signed up for the class at the local YMCA (three blocks from my new apartment) and took my first dip in the pool last night. I have to say...it was exhilarating!



First off, did you know that SCUBA isn't a word like "scuba," rather, it's an acronym. Anyone know what it means? Well, I can tell you! It means self-contained underwater breathing apparatus. Pretty cool, eh?



Now, I don't intend to go into the massive fathoms of the deep, dark sea. Nor do I intend to go cave diving or slithering through ship wrecks. Ewww... The thought of that creeps me out to no end. However, a nice 50-70 foot decent into crystal clear waters to look at the corals, fishies and other sea life...wow...how peaceful, calm, and beautiful is that going to be?



Last night, we learned all about the mask, fins, weight belt, and snorkel. I've been snorkeling a few times, so I knew a lot of what he was talking about. But the terminology and theories behind everything is totally fascinating and there's a lot to learn. There's a lot more to the sport than just breathing underwater. There's physics and common sense, strength and endurance, a buddy-system and hand signals, paying attention, being alert, and most of all...having fun.



The funniest part of the class is my teacher (Rick) is this 63 year old guy who looks like he's about 38 and has been SCUBA diving longer than I've been alive. He talks like a drill instructor, tells us to "pay attention" and "look at him" and he could be Robert De Niro's twin brother! "Are you talking to me?" LOL!!



So there you have it...my first major adventure has begun. I have class twice a week over the next three weeks and then we go on four certification dives. I've already passed the preliminary test of treading water for ten minutes and doing six laps in the Olympic-sized pool. (There are seven people in the class and I was not last in the swimming exercise...thank heavens!!) I'll keep you posted on my progress...so wish me luck!



Have you ever had something you've longed to do, but haven't? What is it? What's kept you from doing it? Would you do it if you could? I'd love to hear all about it!

Hugs,
Marley = )

Who am I and what am I doing here?

No, I'm not Admiral James Stockdale who's running for Vice President with Ross Perot (is that too old of a reference?) I'm Marley Gibson and I'm a young adult author.

Here's the "famed" picture everyone saw at RWA in Dallas this year...(sorry, I don't have an official author photo yet.)



I love saying that. "I'm an author." And, come May 2008, I'll be a published authors. A dream come true. Here I am with my first contract/advance.



People ask me when I first started writing and I answer with "I don't remember a time when I wasn't writing." I used to pen stories for my family and would then have an auction after dinner where my mother, brother, father and sister would "bid" on the stories. It was stuff like: "My teddy bear is Donny. He has a green body. His head is brown. The end." As I grew up, I wrote all sorts of stories. When I was fifteen, I started writing my first young adult story. It was about a cheerleader and a basketball player who fell in love. I still have it and it's not half bad.

In college, I took a lot of writing classes and majored in advertising where I did a lot of creative copywriting. All through my career as a marketing events planner, I've written newsletters, client sheets, white papers, advertisements, press releases, direct mail, you name it.

In January 2001, I decided I could no longer prevail in the dot.com/dot.bomb world that demanded twelve hour days from me and massive travel. I wanted to downsize my career, but I wanted to do something with my writing. And I did. From January to August, I wrote my first completed novel. All 863 pages of! OMG! But it got me writing and I haven't stopped yet. I've written fourteen manuscripts and five partial manuscripts. And I have two books coming out next year!

Here's the first book: SORORITY 101: ZETA OR OMEGA?, writing as Kate Harmon.



In the first book, three heroines from very different backgrounds become friends during Sorority Rush at Latimer University. There's Veronica Van Gelderen (please call her Roni), a Boston Brahman who has rebelled against her parents' money and wishes for a Harvard education to strike out on her own at Latimer. Jenna Driscoll seeks to find a close-knit family, just like the one she left in Atlanta, while trying to hide her diabetes from her new friends. Lora-Leigh Sorenstein is a local gal who dreams of going to design school in New York City. However, her father, Latimer's Dean of Students, insists she stay close to home and her mother insists she Rush. Each girl must decide which sorority house is right for her...and why. The excitement of Sorority Rush is seen through each girl's perspective, ending with their emotional decision and ultimate excitement on Bid Day.

SORORITY 101: THE NEW SISTERS, writing as Kate Harmon



The second book, which comes out at the same time as the first, picks up right after Bid Day, when Roni, Jenna and Lora-Leigh are getting used to the college scene and their life as new sorority members. Roni struggles long-distance with her relationship with her hand's off parents, Lora-Leigh tries to win back her mother's trust after disappointing her, and Jenna is reluctant to share her diabetes with her new sisters until she's struck with a seizure and has her sisters to thank for getting her to the hospital. The story follows each girl as they settle into their academic life, attend fraternity swaps, meet cute guys, and bond with their new sorority sisters. The story ends with the girls being initiated into their chosen sorority.

I'm really excited about the books and I hope you will be too when they come out. I had a great time writing them and feel like there's a little piece of me in Roni, Jenna and Lora-Leigh.

As we get closer to the release date, look for advance copy giveaways here on Books, Boys, Buzz!

Hugs,
Marley = )

What I'm currently reading: Simone's LEAVING PARADISE...and you'll have to excuse me because I have got to get back to it!!!! It's phenomenal!

Who is Stephanie Hale?

Hmm...well, I'm a woman of many faces. A daughter, sister, friend, author, and most importantly, a wife and mommy.

I have loved to read my whole life but never once considered becoming a writer until about five years ago. I got laid off from a job I'd had for about ten years. One day I was watching Oprah and she had an author, Po Bronson, on the show. He had written a book called, What Should I Do With My Life? A few of the people interviewed for the book were on the show and they had given up six figure jobs to pursue their dreams. They looked SO happy. I drove straight to the mall and bought the book. I'm pretty sure I read the whole thing that night. The book was excellent, and the stories were so inspirational, but when I turned to put the book on my nightstand, I couldn't help but be a little disappointed. I guess I had expected to get to page 100 of the book and it would say, STEPHANIE HALE, YOU WOULD BE VERY HAPPY WORKING AS AN ONION FARMER! Which is totally ridiculous, because as anyone who knows me would tell you, I dispise onions. And I don't even know if there are specific farmers just for onions. I was jealous of the people in the stories. I didn't think that I would ever feel happy about WORK. I tried desperately to think of things I loved. My husband, my son, pizza, Coca-Cola, expensive makeup, but none of these things seemed to translate into a clear career path.

Tired and depressed, I reached over to switch off my bedside lamp only to knock over the ever-present tower of books on my table. Then it hit me.

BOOKS. I LOVE BOOKS. I LOVE TOUCHING THEM, SMELLING THEM, HOLDING THEM, and READING THEM. Why couldn't I write a book?

And that was it. The next day I started writing an adult chick-lit called The Perfect Man, I know, original title, right? It got some requests and some nice rejections. After that, and having a second baby, I started what I thought was a young adult but was probably a middle-grade called Living Doll. It has a cute premise and someday I might be able to revise it. While I was shopping LIVING DOLL around, I started Revenge of the Homecoming Queen.

I knew immediately that this book was different from my first two books. It poured out of me pretty quickly. I was getting some very positive requests on LD and felt I was very close to getting an agent, but not my dream agent.

So I did what any impulsive writer does and started querying my dream agents with the Revenge premise. All of them wanted to see it, including Queen Bee Agent, who I had my heart set on getting to represent me.

Okay, long story short. Queen Bee loved my story but wanted to see it fleshed out more and wanted to see it again if I chose to do this. I took one month and completely revised the book and added 20k. I resent to Queen Bee and waited. Queen Bee loved my additions, signed me, and sold my book very shortly thereafter. YEAH!

Getting a book published has been just as amazing as I always dreamed it would be. It is amazing to love what you do and get paid for it. I just hope that I can keep doing this forever.

My second book, Twisted Sisters, comes out on April 1st. Aspen and her Comfort High peeps go to college in this one. Aspen has another mystery to solve while trying to fit in with her new sorority sisters.

I have lots of ideas for new mysteries for Aspen, as well as new characters, that are just waiting to be written. It sounds so cheesy, but now I know, dreams really do come true. Don't ever give up on your dream!

xo,

Steph

http://www.stephaniehale.com/

Revenge of the Homecoming Queen, OUT NOW!